HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A domestic disturbance call on Monday led police to arrest a 41-year-old Hutchinson man on much more serious charges.

Andrew Martinez was stopped by police at 4th and Waldron after he allegedly battered a person in a domestic case. They went to arrest him on the misdemeanor charge and discovered he had what they believe was a sellers quantity of methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.

Potential charges include possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, no tax stamp and battery – domestic violence.

He remains jailed on a $12,000 bond and should be back in court next week.

HUTCHINSON – A rare storm bringing strong winds and also falling barometric pressure is expected to arrive Wednesday.

Kansas could see winds gust to 60 mph in parts of the state. The barometric pressure falling to lowest level ever is called “Bombogenesis,” which means a barometric drop of 24mb in 24 hours.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Frank Strait said the strong storm system is expected to strike Kansas on Wednesday.

“The lowest barometric pressure in the storm center will be some of the lowest on record for Colorado and Kansas typical of a category three hurricane actually, that again is going to result in these strong winds gusting to, perhaps over 60 mph and the winds will stay strong through Thursday but they won’t be as strong,” said Strait.

He said they could still gust to as much as 40 to 45 mph in some areas.

“We don’t see this very often. Of course, we do sometimes see strong winds in Kansas, but this is kind of an extreme case,” said Strait.

In addition, the region could also see some strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rains, which could cause flash flooding across the area.

Stay with Hutchpost.com and of course our radio stations, KWBW AM 1450, FM 98.5, My 93.1 and Country 102.9 for complete weather coverage on any storms that may develop.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 35-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder in January is scheduled for sentencing Friday.

Quinton Moore was found guilty of killing 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen, who was shot multiple times while in bed at a residence at 1701 E. 30th in Hutchinson on Sept. 22, 2017.

Judge Tim Chambers set a special setting for sentencing Friday afternoon.

Moore remains jailed pending that sentencing.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Three people arrested early Saturday on drug-related charges were before a judge Monday for a first appearance.

Twenty-six-year-old David Joshua Logan, 20-year-old Alisha Brown and 22-year-old Dustin Ray Berry face potential charges of being in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and personal use drug paraphernalia.

Logan was also arrested for driving with a suspended license and an expired registration.

Berry also faces a charge of criminal use of a weapon.

The arrests came during a traffic stop at 2:34 a.m. Saturday at K-96 and Kent Road. The Reno County sheriff’s deputy who made the stop could smell marijuana when he made contact with the occupants of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a gallon-sized bag of marijuana, paraphernalia and a fully-loaded handgun.

It’s believed that they purchased the marijuana in Wichita and intended to sell it in Hutchinson.

All three will be back in court on March 18.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Labor released the unemployment numbers for January of this year.

According to the numbers, the rate for the city of Hutchinson was at 2.7 percent in January, up from 2.4 percent in December. That number is also above the January 2018 rate of 2.5 percent.

For Reno County, the rate jumped to 3.9 percent in January from 3.3 percent in December. That number is just under the rate for January of last year when it was at 4 percent.

All of the other area counties also saw an increase in their January rates.

For the state of Kansas as a whole, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was at 3.4 percent. This was up from 3.3 percent in December and down from 3.5 percent in January 2018.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In 1969, Irene Martindell was busy as the mother of four children and spouse of Bob Martindell, a prominent Hutchinson attorney. She still felt a tug to volunteer whatever free time was available at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital.

To her delight, Irene was assigned responsibility for delivering mail and flowers to patients, a job she enjoyed immensely. “It was the best volunteer job at the hospital,” Martindell will tell anyone.

With the merger of Hutchinson’s two hospitals in the mid-1970s, She had a decision to make about whether or not to move her volunteerism across town to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Sept. 10, 1975, is a day she will always remember as it was her first day volunteering for what she still calls “the new hospital,” a weekly stint of three hours in duration, a commitment she would keep during the 43 years to follow.

In 2018, Matindell decided to step down as a volunteer, but accepted an invitation to continue on the Hutch Regional Auxiliary Board of Directors.

Volunteering is a lifelong passion for her. Martindell is quick to point out that she loves people. Along the way, the Hutchinson Symphony and Emergency Shelter caught wind of Martindell’s love for volunteerism and invited her to join the organizations’ board of directors.

During the warm weather months, she can be seen cruising the streets of Hutchinson in her Corvette convertible, but this time of year she prefers an enclosed sedan.

On May 24, Irene Martindell will be 98-years young and sums up her long life in a few words. “God blessed me with a great husband and four wonderful children,” Irene said. Add a love of life and volunteerism to her list of accolades.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A man accused of two counts of stalking and two counts of violating a protection from abuse order managed to get his bond cut in half while making a court appearance Friday.

Troy Pontius was jailed on Thursday after he was caught near the home where his child’s mother lives.

In court, he claimed he was trying to see his child. Pontius thought he had an agreement with the child’s mother for visitation. Pontius says his only intention was to see his child.

According to Reno County District Judge Patty Macke-Dick, he was captured on video near the victim’s residence at 3 in the morning.

With the arrest, Pontius should be back in court next week.